British Prime Minister Claims Her Shoes Inspired a Woman to Go Into Politics. Twitter’s Not Convinced.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says her shoes played a role in at least one woman going into politics. (Photo: Getty Images)

British Prime Minister Theresa May thinks her shoe game has extreme power, but some think she’s giving her kicks too much credit.

May and her husband did an interview on the BBC’s The One Show on Tuesday, and her eccentric taste in footwear came up. In response to the host’s question of whether she wished the whole obsession with her shoes were just left behind and out of politics, she said, “I like my nice shoes, and it gives me a reason to go and buy some more.”

A woman after our own heart.

However, May claimed that her shoe influence does have a “serious side to it,” apparently. Four or five years ago, she recalled, “I was in the lift in the House of Commons and there was a young woman in the lift and I happened to look down and said, ‘Oh, nice pair of shoes.’ And she said, ‘I like your shoes.’ And then she looked at me and she said, ‘Your shoes got me involved in politics.'”

May concluded, proudly, “There was somebody who, through something quite sort of normal, just seeing me dressed in shoes, she got into politics and is now working for the House of Commons.”

Now, we of all people know the power of a good pair of shoes. But Twitter is calling May out on her story. “A young woman got involved in politics because of Theresa May’s nice shoes! Oh yay. It’s hard enough to be taken seriously here,” one Twitter user pointed out. “People don’t go into politics because an MP wears overpriced shoes,” wrote another.

@BBCTheOneShow Sad day for BBC coming up with this bilge people don't go into politics because an MP wears overpriced shoes

People were not happy with how May was portraying women entering politics, while others took issue with the fact that shoes were discussed during the interview instead of major issues like Brexit and education.

Maybe this is adding fuel to the fire … but we should comment on May’s showstopping shoes during the interview: a pair of tasseled moccasins with short crystal-encrusted heels.

The prime minister has been attacked for her taste in shoes before, but that particular time, Twitter defended her.

May likely won’t let this criticism change the way she dresses her feet. In an interview with Vogue in March, the prime minister addressed the criticism she’d received for her expensive and high-end taste in fashion. She expressed a belief that women should be allowed to be interested in fashionand politics.

“Look, throughout my political career, people have commented on what I wear,” May told the magazine. “That’s just something that happens, and you accept that. But it doesn’t stop me from going out and enjoying fashion. And I also think it’s important to be able to show that a woman can do a job like this and still be interested in clothes.”